Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor / Mazurkas / Waltzes / Cello sonata / etc

"Best of all is the B minor Sonata with which she begins her stroll. It's a bold, big-boned performance that rather dismisses the scherzo, but presents the slow movement in epic terms. The other large-scale works - a carefully paced Polonaise-Fantasie, and a finely communicative account with Pavel Gomziakov of the cello work - are successful. Too" The Guardian, 5th June 2009

"The transience of life and beauty; how keenly we feel this as the first chord of the B major Op 62 Nocturne subsides into its echo. But that's just one of many magical moments in this CD release - for once presented by DG with the dignity that the music-making deserves." The Times, 29th May 2009 ****

"…there are moments of rapturous beauty in every piece." Gramophone Magazine, August 2009

"Pires's musical qualities are well known; clarity and resilience of line, luminous singing tone, a near-ideal balance between aristocratic poise and emotional absorption, and a rare poetic eloquence. In the Third Sonata her notably personal rubato adds to, rather than detracts from, the music's sense of flow. In the... Cello Sonata Op. 65, Pires partners the Russian cellist Pavel Gomziakov... This is a broad and reflective reading, with a lovely tone from both cello and piano, helped by DG's terrific sound, and a sense of dialogue and shared understanding that is very rewarding." BBC Music Magazine, August 2009 ****

Maria João Pires, an icon for DG, returned to the recording studio in January 2008. This new recital of works by Chopin will renew interest in the pianist and will certainly be welcomed by her large number of fans, who have eagerly awaited such a new release.

Pires's recording of Chopin's Complete Nocturnes was a best-seller with worldwide sales exceeding 260,000 album units.